The Hulk possesses an incredible level of superhuman physical ability. His capacity for physical strength is potentially limitless due to the fact that the Hulk's strength increases proportionally with his level of great emotional stress, anger in particular. The Hulk uses his superhumanly strong leg muscles to leap great distances. The Hulk has been known to cover hundreds of miles in a single bound and once leaped almost into orbit around the Earth. The Hulk has shown a high resistance to physical damage nearly regardless of the cause, and has also shown resistance to extreme temperatures, poisons, and diseases in addition to regeneration of damaged or destroyed areas of tissue at an amazing rate.
The Hulk's body also has a gland that makes an "oxygenated per fluorocarbon emulsion", which creates pressure in the Hulk's lungs and effectively lets him breathe underwater and move quickly between varying depths without concerns about decompression or nitrogen narcosis.

Abilities

Dr. Bruce Banner is a genius in nuclear physics, possessing a mind so brilliant that it cannot be measured on any known intelligence test. When Banner is the Hulk, Banner's consciousness is buried within the Hulk's, and can influence the Hulk's behavior only to a very limited extent.

Supervising the trial of an experimental gamma bomb for the U.S. Defense Department at a nuclear research facility in New Mexico, Dr. Robert Bruce Banner selflessly rushed to the rescue of an ignorant teenager who had wandered onto the testing field as the countdown ticked inexorably toward zero. After shoving young Rick Jones to safety in a nearby ditch, Banner was struck full-force by the bomb blast. He survived, but was irradiated by the deadly gamma energy.

At first, Banner would transform into the brutish gray Hulk only at sunset, and revert to human form at dawn. Eventually, his changes into the childlike green Hulk came to be triggered by the release of adrenaline when he was intensely excited, no matter what time of day. The green Hulk possesses little of Banner's memory and intelligence, and is easily enraged; making him a menace to society.

For a short time, Banner successfully treated his condition with radiation and was able to maintain enough of his own personality when he became the Hulk to control himself in that form. Subsequently, he helped found the Avengers and even received a presidential pardon. Ultimately, however, the Hulk reverted into a brutish menace.

Gamma-powered psychiatrist Leonard "Doc" Samson captured the Hulk and successfully separated Banner and his alter ego. Without Banner's psyche to restrain him, the Hulk became a greater danger than ever before. Realizing there was only one way to reign in the Hulk, Banner agreed to merge with the monster. But the stress of the re-integration fractured Banner's subconscious, creating the street-smart gray Hulk. During this time, he spent several years in Las Vegas, sometimes operating as an enforcer calling himself Mr. Fixit (or "Joe Fixit.") The smart-mouth Fixit was an ill-tempered, wise-cracking, thuggish brute whose personality resembled that of his father and the fraternity boys who surrounded him in college. It was also at this time that Joe Fixit began his a short-lived relationship with the future wife of Rick Jones, Marlo Chandler. In this state of the Hulk, Banner again found himself changing into the Hulk at night and into his human form in the light of the day.

Soon after, the swirling mess of persona and mentalities took their toll on the ever-flustered mind of Dr. Banner, and a battle for supremacy and control took place in Banner's subconscious. With assistance by the Ringmaster and his hypnotic abilities, Doc Samson tapped into the subconscious of Banner and reached his separate incarnations. Through this hypnosis, Banner, the green Hulk, and the grey Fixit all aligned to face their true inner demons-- Banner's unresolved issues with his abusive father and the murderer of his mother. With this realization, Banner was able to fuse these mentalities together, finding peace of mind. However, a green but intelligent version of the Hulk emerged. He had the mentality of Dr. Banner but the body and abilities of the Hulk.

It was during this time Banner became involved with a group called the Pantheon, a group determined to end war, famine and pestilence on the Earth. His exploits with the team ranged from pretending to be gangsters in Las Vegas, taking down individuals like the enigmatic Mr. Frost, to renewing old grudges with powerful foes such as Madman and forming new enemies as the amphibious android, Piecemeal, to battling enemies from beyond the stars. However, once it was discovered the immortal founder of the group betrayed them to an alien race called the Troyjans, the Pantheon became a thing of the past and Hulk was on his own once again.

Unfortunately Dr. Banner soon realized that he must once again keep his temper in check, as if he let his rage loose, the mentality of the savage green Hulk would soon take over, albeit in the form of Banner's human body. Without the strength of the Hulk and filled with the Green Goliath's rage and belief of his old abilities, he proved to be a great danger to himself. This was, however, not to last. During the assault of the being known as Onslaught, the Hulk asked Jean Grey to let the green Hulk loose from its mental prison in order to use his maximum potential and abilities to defeat the menace. In a strange twist, Banner became divided. The Banner physically went away to a parallel world created upon Onslaught's defeat, where he once again became the savage green Hulk. Remaining on Earth, was a cold, somewhat unfeeling but intelligible version of the jade monster. This version of the Hulk also found himself allied with Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur), who made Hulk into one of his Four Horsemen.

This surly version of the Hulk remained in this state, never changing until much later when the consciousness of Banner was awakened from a personal hell where he was trapped in his own subconscious and haunted by his memories of his father, his future self (the Maestro), the Leader, and his past Banner and Hulk incarnations. Banner's freedom and escape from this subconscious hell was only achieved through self-realization and the understanding that his true strength came from within, proving his redemption from his fears. Upon this realization, Banner was guided to consciousness though the visage of his true love, Betty. This revelation, however, did not mean Banner gave up his quest to rid himself of the Hulk, but his mettle was tested time and again when he was promised a cure by those who were only trying to gain the power for themselves. Such was the case when a former physics professor of Banner's used an invention of his own design to replicate Banner's genetic code and siphon off enough gamma radiation to become the creature called Ravage.

Though never a team player, the Hulk joined forces with the Dr. Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts, and Namor, the Atlantean Sub-Mariner, to defeat the techno-wizard Yandroth and his ultimate computer, the Omegatron. Thereafter, this loose-knit band of Defenders would unite periodically to oppose threats to humanity. The original Defenders reluctantly re-formed when Yandroth surfaced again to menace the world. Though the heroes defeated his plan, Yandroth used his sorcery to levy a deathbed curse upon their heads, binding them to come together in times of crisis.

After the events of the M-Day, Banner sought refuge and peace in Alaska, where he lived as a hermit loosely connected to the town community. He was eventually tracked down by Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D., who required his help in defeating the Hydra space weapon called the Godseye which could detonate all the nuclear bombs in the world. Sent up as the Hulk, he discovered that the Godseye was actually a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. weapon that could match the strength of any enemy. In the ensuing battle, the Godseye found that though it could try, it could not match the increasing power of the Hulk, and it exploded.

A S.H.I.E.L.D. commissioned space shuttle was sent to retrieve the Hulk, or so he believed. Seizing the opportunity to be rid of the Hulk, a group of superheroes known as the Illuminati decided to jettison the shuttle into space, to a planet with no intelligent life forms. Unfortunately, there was a navigation error, and the Hulk landed on Planet Sakaar, a planet full of barbarian tribes, gladiator battles and ruled over by a corrupt empire. The planet was situated near a portal, which gave it access to several different cultures and technologies. Weakened by his travel, Hulk was taken captive and sold into slavery and sent to the Great Arena to die in the games. After overcoming the first challenge set before him, Hulk was given the opportunity to be pardoned by the Red King, but instead he chose to attack him and was knocked out by the Red King when he became distracted. The Hulk soon joined several others in a group that would have to learn to fight together and, in result, they became Warbound. The Hulk and his team of misfit warriors overcame the challenges set before them and became known as great warriors throughout the planet, inspiring many to rebel against the Red King.

Soon thereafter, Hulk and his team were forced to fight a captured Silver Surfer who struck them fiercely. Hulk, angered by Silver Surfer's betrayal, attacked the Surfer and inadvertently released him from the disc implant embedded within him. Freed of the implant disc that kept him prisoner, the Surfer destroyed the rest of the implant discs embedded in the rest of the warriors. The Hulk declined the Silver Surfer's offer of transportation back to his world so as to finish things on Planet Sakaar. Hulk then stood with his freed Warbound companions against the tyrannous Red King.

After several hard fought battles, the evolution of Miek, and finally gaining the confidence of Caiera the Oldstrong, Hulk and the Warbound confronted the Red King. With those few still loyal to him, the King in his Death's Head Armor did battle with Hulk. As he soon saw he was no match for the Green Scar, the Red King activated a rupture under the very surface of the planet. In an act of desperation, Hulk leaped into the molten earth and forced the splitting plates back to their proper assemblage, literally saving Sakaar. The Hulk gave the King a finishing blow, knocking him clear of the city walls. Finally, the Wildebots came upon the Red King and finished him off once and for all.

Hulk was proclaimed the Green King, and all those on Sakaar worshiped him and his Queen, Caiera. She told her king that she would bear him a child, and it seemed that the Hulk's life of running and fighting was over. However, the Hulk was not destined for a happy ending as the ship that brought him to that world soon exploded, killing his wife and unborn child sending Banner into a rage like no other. He and his Warbound journeyed to Earth seeking revenge on the planet's heroes for their part in Sakkar's destruction. Once they arrived, the Hulk crushed Black Bolt on Attilan and took the city of New York as his battleground. Iron Man, Mister Fantastic and Doctor Strange all fell before the Hulk and his Warbound too. Even old sparring partners such as the X-Men as well as new threats like the Gamma Corps couldn't even slow the Hulk's rampage.

Hulk fitted his defeated foes with Obedience Disks just like the ones he and the other gladiators on Sakaar were forced to wear and made them battle one another in order to experience the ordeal he was put through. It wasn’t until the Hulk prevented Mister Fantastic from killing Tony Stark during one of the gladiator matches that he revealed his true intentions. Hulk claimed he came home for justice, not murder, but Hulk does not want the world to forget what he feels their heroes truly are: liars, traitors and killers. No matter how many times Stark or Richards try to explain they had nothing to do with the shuttle explosion that killed his adopted home world, the Hulk will not listen.

Soon a nearly insane Sentry arrives on the scene and a cataclysmic battle ensues between him and Hulk. Sentry unleashed forces that nearly destroyed what was left of New York, but ultimately, Hulk averted that disaster by defeating the Sentry. Having reverted back to the form of Bruce Banner, it seemed that World War Hulk had come to an end. However, Miek had other plans. Miek tried to injure Banner, so he would transform back to his gamma powered counterpart, but Rick Jones pushed Banner out of the way only to have Miek’s spear thrust through his body. Miek got what he wanted, and Banner did turn back into the Hulk but it was only because he intended to destroy the Hive King for stabbing his friend. Miek continued to explain how it was really his plan to let Hulk think the heroes of Earth destroyed Sakaar as he watched men loyal to the Red King load an old warp core onto the Hulk’s shuttle in hopes that it would kill him. Now faced with the truth, Hulk’s anger was completely out of control, and as he told the heroes he would hate them forever because this would never have happened if not for their interference. He also told Tony Stark to stop him because he hated himself as well for his part in the destruction.

Stark called upon the combined power of various satellites to finally put an end to the Hulk’s rampage. Banner was taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and was placed three miles below the Mojave Desert. The Warbound was also placed in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, but they escaped after saving New York from being split in half by an expanding chasm the Hulk created.

While Banner was incarcerated at Gamma Base, a new mystery revealed itself when long-time Hulk foe, the Abomination, was found murdered in his homeland of Russia. A team comprised of Iron Man, General Ross, Samson, She-Hulk and Commander Maria Hill went to investigate only to determine the only suspect that could have done this was the Hulk. The perpetrator soon revealed himself on a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, and it was indeed a massive creature referring to itself as the Red Hulk. This new incarnation of the Hulk decimated the likes of She-Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and even Rick Jones in his new powered up identity of a creature named A-Bomb. Banner was set free when the clash between the Red Hulk and A-Bomb caused a big enough earthquake to damage his prison. The potential threat to Banner's life triggered his transformation into the Green Goliath, and the Hulk wasted no time in confronting his new nemesis. The Hulk, caught unprepared for the Red Hulk's fighting style, was defeated in their first meeting - suffering a broken arm in the process - but the outcome was much different during their second meeting. The Hulk found a potential weakness in the Red Hulk and exploited it. Once the Red Hulk was beaten, the Hulk left before he could find out the Red Hulk's true identity. However, Banner has been spending his time trying to track down the Red Hulk before he can do anymore damage. On his journey, Banner ended up in Las Vegas where the Hulk had to team up with Sentry, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight and even Brother Voodoo to quell a pack of Wendigos from devouring everyone inside a casino.

Grandmaster's Defenders

Collector's Offenders

Sometime later, the Grandmaster came to Hulk with a proposition: if Hulk chose to participate in a game and won, Grandmaster would bring his love, Jarella, back to life. Hulk agreed and was told he could pick a group of allies to aid him in the game. Hulk chose his former teammates in the Defenders: Namor, Silver Surfer, and Doctor Strange. When the time came to meet their opponents, the Collector appeared with the Hulk's nemesis, the Red Hulk, and his team: Baron Mordo, Terrax and Tiger Shark - now known as the Offenders. With the game underway, each member of each team was paired up on separate battlefields. The power levels of each pair were too evenly matched, but in a wicked turn of events, the Red Hulk impaled the Hulk on a trident, killing him. The Hulk would eventually be resurrected by the Grandmaster to attend to an out of control Red Hulk, but the Hulk would still be left broken-hearted over the loss of his beloved Jarella – much to the satisfaction of the Red Hulk.

The events following the Defenders/Offenders War would be even more satisfying to the Hulk's new nemesis when Banner would become a captive of M.O.D.O.K. and A.I.M., and a quartet of heroes attempted to infiltrate the underground base. At the end of Hulk's war with the heroes of Earth, the satellites Stark used to end the Hulk's rampage were hacked into by M.O.D.O.K. for the sole purpose of interfacing with Banner's irradiated cells. With this information, and the help of a seemingly traitorous General Ross, A.I.M. intended to create an army of gamma-powered soldiers. What they did create was Doc Samson's evil split personality, the monstrous A-Bomb, and the Red Hulk. When Doc Samson turned on his group and attacked She-Hulk, leaving Ben Urich and his photographer-by-day, superhero-by-night, Spider-Man to fend for themselves against the Red Hulk, an enraged Banner released his alter-ego to save them. The battle between the Hulks left the base in ruins, but it appeared it would be the last time these behemoths would ever clash again. The Red Hulk used his power to absorb radiation to drain Hulk dry, leaving Banner unable to ever transform into the Green Goliath again.

Banner was rescued by A-Bomb, and the two of them fled to the place where Rick used to cage Hulk for the night when Banner was first affected by the gamma bomb that changed his life forever. While in hiding, Norman Osborn got word of Banner's predicament and sent Ares to find out if the claims were true. Between A-Bomb's strength and Banner's brain, Ares was defeated. Bruce and Rick went their separate ways, leaving Bruce to start a new life without the burden of being the Hulk. His first stop: New York to trick Reed Richards and retrieve the Hulk's personal belongings when he was the Green Scar. Next on his agenda was to give those items to Skaar and begin his training should the Hulk return.